Melt with You
Karen Erickson
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Melt With You (Fated #4)
Copyright © 2011 by Karen Erickson
Cover Artist – Angela Waters
This ebook is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Published in the United States of America
First electronic publication: September 2011 by Karen Erickson.
www.karenerickson.com
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Chapter One
“Whatever you do, don’t uncross your legs.”
The woman glared at him, the expression on her reddened face fierce, her lips screwed up in a grimace just before she spoke. “You have got to be kidding me. You’ve got a lot of nerve, ya know? Trying to tell me what to do during the most painful moment of my—” She shrieked, her words lost as she clutched her belly.
Panic filled Wes, and he breathed deep. Okay, maybe the humorous approach wasn’t the right way to handle a woman in full-blown labor, but hell. He didn’t want to admit he was just as freaked as she was. Yeah, he’d been a paramedic for six years and he’d assisted with a couple of deliveries during his training days, but that had been a long time ago and he’d only dealt with the occasional laboring woman.
He definitely hadn’t dealt with one this far in labor—and she was pretty damn far.
Really damn far, as in dilated to nearly ten centimeters and clutching his hand so hard he was afraid she’d squeeze his fingers off. Sweat dampened her brow. Hell, it poured down her face, and she let loose another wail just before she started that panting deal all laboring women did.
She squeezed his hand again hard and acted like she was going to…push.
“No, no, no, don’t do that yet.”
He smiled. He laughed. He cajoled and tried to get her mind off the matter at hand.
She wouldn’t be deterred. She was a woman on a mission to have a baby.
Now.
“First child?” Making idle conversation was best. Her belly rippled. She gnashed her teeth, and—thank Christ the ambulance pulled into the drive that led to the emergency room drop off.
He could hand her off to labor and delivery and all would be well.
“No, dumbass, it’s my third. My husband is out of town with our other two children, visiting his parents.” She bit down on her lower lip, gave a little whimper. “I’m three weeks early. I’m never early. Every one of my babies has been late.”
“This one is just anxious I guess.” He chuckled, and she glared.
Seeing her flushed face, her behavior completely out of control reiterated a recent thought. No babies for him. Ever.
“I’m pushing.” She made the announcement just as the truck screeched to a jolting halt. “I don’t care what you say. I can feel this baby hanging between my legs. I’m pushing.”
He winced. Not the image he wanted in his mind but too late. Not that she cared, and not that he blamed her. “Ma’am, please. We’re at the hospital. We’re here. We can take you up to labor and delivery, and a doctor can guide you through the rest…”
“I don’t need any guidance, I need to get this baby out of me. Now. Oh my God.” The words rushed out of her and she levered herself up on her elbows, practically bending in half. She started grunting, and he knew she was pushing.
That baby was probably going to tumble out and over the stretcher in about two minutes if he didn’t do something about it.
“Shit.” She must have heard his mutter because she started laughing, the crazy woman.
The doors swung open and his partner Evan stood there, his eyes widening when he saw the scene before him. “Holy crap, Wes. Why didn’t you tell me she was this close?”
“She decided on her own she was this close. Get someone and hurry up.” The words hissed out of Wes as he crouched over the woman and made sure she was comfortable. “We’re going to move you out of the ambulance.” She grabbed his hand, which she’d let escape only a moment before, and squeezed it again. Damn, she was strong. “Don’t you dare take me from this ambulance.
The baby is coming. Coming. ”
He looked about the interior of the ambulance wildly, for what he wasn’t sure.
Yeah, he was in full on panic mode. Hustling out of the back of the ambulance, Wes jumped to the ground, glancing around for a sign of someone. Anyone who could come and help him assist this poor, laboring woman who was about to deliver a baby into the world.
Evan had disappeared, the emergency room doors sliding shut with a quiet swoosh, swallowing him whole. He better be on the lookout and bring someone back pronto.
Wes didn’t want to do this alone.
The woman screamed, the sound ripping through the air. Wes turned and saw that her legs were spread. She’d somehow torn off her underwear and, Lord help him, his gaze went unerringly to her crotch.
Saw the dark head peeking out between her legs.
His skin went ice cold, and his head swam. He felt dizzy. Dizzy. What the hell was wrong with him?
Gentle fingers touched his forearm and a sweet-as-honey voice asked, “Do you need help?”
He glanced down, and the world seemed to stop. All he saw was her—pretty and petite and with the smile of an angel, an angel clad in pale blue scrubs.
Half tempted to bow before her and kiss her feet, he nodded instead. “She’s about to give birth.”
“Haven’t you ever assisted a woman in labor before?” Her voice was calm as she climbed into the back of the ambulance and checked between the woman’s legs. “Oh, dear. He’s coming right now, isn’t he?”
“How’d you know it’s a boy?” The woman stopped her huffing and puffing and grunting and groaning to stare at the angel nurse in awe.
“Oh, I know these things.” His newfound angel gently pushed the hem of the woman’s dress up to her hips and then rested her hands on the inside of the woman’s knees. “I deliver babies all the time. I think with a couple of pushes, you’ll have that boy in your arms, no problem.”
Relief flooded Wes and he leaned against the edge of the truck, watching the nurse work with quiet, calm efficiency. It was as if she’d fallen into his lap. A labor and delivery nurse—he couldn’t have asked for anyone better.
“Okay, I don’t want you to push. I want you to wait until you feel the next contraction, all right?” Her measured tone calmed even him down. She turned, her pale blue gaze meeting his and it was as if he’d been zapped by a bolt of lightning. “D
o you have any gloves?”
“Of course.” He scrambled back into the ambulance and assisted her, giving her what she needed as she asked for it. Watched with silent awe when she snapped on the gloves and checked the baby, then skimmed her fingers over the woman’s massive belly.
“I can feel the contraction,” she murmured, her fingers at the bottom slope of the woman’s protruding stomach. “Now push. Work with the contraction, don’t fight it.” The woman closed her eyes and pushed with all her might, no more grunting, hardly any sound coming from her whatsoever. The complete calm that had come over the ambulance and everyone inside it signaled an almost majestic event.
The baby spilled out and into the hands of his angelic nurse. She cleaned the little red bundle’s mouth and nose, her movements efficient and quick. The baby let forth a rusty squall, and she set him on his mother’s chest.
“We were right. It’s a boy.”
The new mother touched the baby’s head with wonder, tears springing into her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered to the nurse, her voice raw. The baby stopped squirming, and she cradled her newborn son in her arms.
“You’re welcome.” The nurse smiled, dimples appearing in each cheek, and Wes couldn’t help but feel moved by the entire situation.
The nurse acted as if she witnessed miracles like this for a living—which she did.
“You were amazing,” he murmured, not wanting to disturb the mother as they started cleaning as best they could. He wondered where the hell Evan had taken off to and where was the help that was supposed to be arriving?
“Really, I’m just doing my job.” She lifted her head, her gaze going to the back of the ambulance and there stood Evan, a nurse on either side of him.
“Looks like you got it handled.” Evan grinned.
“No thanks to you.” Wes pointed to the nurse. “But plenty of thanks to her.” She flashed him a smile, and he felt it like a punch to the gut. He would certainly like to thank her.
In more ways than one.
The handsome paramedic was staring at her as if she’d performed some sort of divine act ordained by the heavens when really, it was such a common day occurrence for her she felt like it had become routine.
Lanie shook her head. Well, there had been nothing routine about today’s delivery. First, she’d been on her lunch break, sitting outside, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air while she read. She’d heard the woman scream, knew there was trouble and so she’d rushed over to check it out.
Luckily enough for everyone she’d been there to help. The woman had been so close to delivering there was no way she would’ve made it out of the ambulance, and the paramedic had appeared to be in a deep panic.
When it came to a woman in labor, the sight alone usually sent the majority of men into a complete tizzy. Thankfully he’d calmed and assisted her. The baby was delivered without a hitch, and a crew of nurses had taken the woman and her newborn inside.
Lanie checked her watch. She needed to get back to work but she spotted the paramedic heading toward her, a sheepish expression on his face. What a face—all sharp angles and strong jaw, offset by piercing green eyes and sensual lips. Tall and broad, he filled out his uniform nicely.
Her entire body went on full-tilt alert as he came closer. She offered him a weak smile. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s great.” He stopped in front of her. She inhaled, his warm, masculine scent filling her, and she felt just the tiniest bit dizzy. In a good way. “I wanted to thank you for the help.”
“You’re welcome.” She shrugged. “Just doing my job.”
“You rescued me.” He smiled, and the sight of it dazzled her senses. Had she ever reacted so strongly to a man before? She didn’t even know his name. “Rescued that lady too.”
“No offense, but you looked like you needed rescuing.” He chuckled and dropped his gaze to the ground, shuffling his booted feet. “So you work in labor and delivery? I’ve never seen you around before.”
“I do. And I just transferred here a few months ago.” His lids lifted, revealing his dark brown gaze. “Ah, that explains it. I’m Wes.”
“Lanie.” She took his offered hand, a bolt of heat shooting from their connected palms and firing her blood. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” He let go of her hand slowly, their fingers brushing as he disengaged.
“Maybe I’ll see you around again soon.”
“Maybe.” Her voice was weak and she stood there, watching as he walked away.
She dropped her gaze to his firm backside, admiring his assured stride, his lean musculature. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes meeting hers and his smile bloomed into a full-blown grin.
Giddy, she walked inside the hospital, her gaze unfocused, her mind filled with dreamy thoughts. It was as if she floated on a cloud all the way up to the labor and delivery floor, and her friend and coworker Aimee noticed immediately.
“Did you hear about the lady who gave birth in the ambulance?” Aimee asked as Lanie drew near.
“I’m the one who helped deliver the baby.” She’d already forgotten about the baby, her thoughts were so wrapped up in Wes the sexy paramedic.
“How cool. I wondered if maybe it was you. I knew you were on your break, and they said a nurse helped out.” Aimee laughed. “I should’ve known.” Lanie grabbed a clipboard and scanned the list though she really couldn’t focus, which was bad considering she still had four hours to go before her shift finished. “It was me.”
“So you helped Wes out then?” When Lanie’s mouth dropped open, Aimee smiled. “I heard it was him. Word spreads fast.”
I’ll say. “Do you know him?”
Aimee waved a dismissive hand. “Everyone knows him. He’s such a player.” Disappointment filled her. Great. The first guy to spark her interest since moving to this city and he was a man slut. “He’s that bad?”
“I know, such a shame. He’s gorgeous. Funny and smart. The guy he works with, Evan, he was a catch too. But he was such a workaholic he never gave anyone the time of day. He got snatched up just recently. Now Wes? He’ll screw anything in a skirt.” Lanie’s heart sunk to her toes. Temptation left her, just like that. She’d already dealt with one boyfriend who cheated on her, and she’d told herself never again. She wasn’t about to casually date a man with that kind of reputation.
“Steer clear of him, Lanie,” Aimee warned, as if she could read her mind. “He’s not worthy of you.”
“Thanks for the advice.” She was already ahead of Aimee. No way would she even consider that guy.
No way.
Chapter Two
Wes was a man possessed.
What else could explain why his focus was shot? His work was suffering. He couldn’t sleep. Hell, he couldn’t concentrate long enough to pay attention to a show on TV. All he could think about was her.
Lanie. The heavenly nurse with the sweet smile and the pretty blue eyes.
He’d asked around the hospital, of course. Immediately they’d all known why.
The smirks, the suggestive comments, they aggravated the hell out of him. Okay, yeah, he could own his reputation but that had been a long time ago. He’d finally taken a clue from Evan and started throwing himself in his work.
When was the last time he’d had sex with anyone he worked with? Well over a year. How about the last time he had sex with someone he met on the job? Same.
There was something to be said about a man who focused on his career versus one who played at it. He wasn’t getting any younger. He wanted to be considered damn good at his job—one of the best. And, now that he was a little more secure in that department, he thought meeting Lanie was perfect timing.
Everyone around him thought he was up to his old tricks again. It was insulting.
Not that he could really blame them.
It was well past the end of his shift, almost midnight and he grabbed his duffel bag from his locker, slamming the metal door shut with a loud bang.
&nb
sp; “What’s your problem?”
Wes turned to find Evan watching him, his eyes narrowed, hands resting on his hips.
He wanted to roll his eyes. If one of his best friends was going to give him shit, he’d explode. “Sorry. Frustrated.”
“Over what?” Evan tugged on a sweatshirt, then zipped his duffel bag closed, tossing it on the ground before he shut his locker.
“That nurse. Lanie.”
“Haven’t got a chance to talk to her?”
“Not only have I not talked to her, I haven’t even seen her.” Wes glanced to his left, then his right, making sure they were alone before he continued. “I asked around about her to a few people.”
“Yeah? What did you learn?”
“That she’s relatively new on staff. She’s originally from Arizona, and she’s single.” Evan sighed and shook his head. “They all asked how long it was going to take to get her in the sack.”
Evan chuckled. “Your reputation precedes you.”
“Damn it, that’s the problem. I haven’t done anything like that in months.
Months. ”
“Oh, I know. It’s just that people have a hard time forgetting.” Evan offered him a grim smile. “Hopefully she hasn’t heard about your escapades.” Wes groaned. He hadn’t even thought of that. “If that’s the case, I can probably write her off before I even talk to her again. The gossip around this joint runs rampant.”
“Tell me about it.” They headed out of the break area located close to the emergency area. “People still can’t believe I actually have a girlfriend. Someone approaches me at least once a week to ask me about it, about Morgan.”
“How is Morgan?” Evan had met her on the job, when she’d been smacked by a door while on a date with a complete jackass. Just like that, she and Evan had fallen madly in love.
“She’s good.” The giant smile on Evan’s face would split it in half if he didn’t watch it, and the glazed look in his eyes made him look like a bozo. A bozo who was a total goner for his woman. “We’re starting to hammer out wedding plans.”
Melt With You: Fated, Book 4 Page 1
